1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention are directed to an animal model induced to have pterygium, which is an ocular surface lesion observed only in humans, for use in researching pterygium and developing a therapeutic agent therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pterygium is a wing-shaped ocular surface lesion characterized by the encroachment of conjunctival tissue over the cornea. This lesion is thought to originate from limbal stem cells that have been altered by chronic ultraviolet-B exposure, and is observed only in humans.
According to many studies, pterygium chemotherapeutic agents have the potential long-term risk of sight-threatening complications, and the current treatment for pterygium focuses excision, and prevention of recurrence which is achieved through surgical techniques to cover the bare scleral bed via grafts of autologous conjunctival, limbal tissue, or amniotic membrane.
Typical search on the occurrence and treatment for pterygium has been limited to either studies utilizing resected surgical tissue or in vitro culture cell model. As an animal model for the pterygium research, UVB-exposed animals, suture-stimulated animals, or chemical-burn animals were used. However, reliable lab animal models have not been established.
Therefore, to resolve these problems, inventors of the present application isolated human pterygial epithelial cells (hPEC) by surgical operations, cultured the cells, and after the confirmation of ptergyial epithelial cells, injected the hPEC into mice.